Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-14
j. GOULD'S DAVID.
Belden, of Black Friday Notoriety,
still Power in Many Directions.

Belden, of Black Friday Notoriety,
still Il Power in Many Directions.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-Every once in a
while some newspaper publishes remi-
niscent note of the Black Friday calamity
that shook Wall street and the country a
decade ago, and the name OF William Bel
den always figures in these paragraphs as
the man who bested Jay Gould in this
monumental episode OF the metropolitan
gambling exchange.
When Beiden'5 name is mentioned it is
as a leaf from he history of the past, and
few knew that the youthful operator. then
but ID years OF age, who played David to
Guuld's Goliah. with such damaging re-
suits to the latter, is still Il moving and
potent factor in the strong undercurreni
OF the commercial pulse of the metropo-
lis. William Belden was soldier i'll the
Union war, and as his tilt with Gould
proved, he is still a fighter to the back
bone.
He retired ostensibly from business
shortly alter the Black FRIDAY earth
quake, and tle present generation never
hears OF him these days as an active COM
Blatant In the lists. But bis power is fell
IN many directions. He has the ear Of
two of the most prominent metropolitan
judges, and preserves, In his dealings
with them all the traditions of the old
time ''ring" rule OF twenty years ago.
Some time since he purchased from
john Roach the yacht Yosemite, and al
ter season OF hair-breadth escapes in
this craft, including narrowing mid
night experience with the Fall river
steamer Bristol, in which but a second o.
time stood between 500 lives and ETERNITY
and an actual collision with another
yacht upon the Hudson, by which The
latter craft was sunk, he, with charac.
teristic mperturbabllity, sent the Yose-
mite back TO Roach on the ground that it
did not altogether suit him.
knowing his power with the bench
Roach took the craft back and Tor several
seasons used it in Southern waters il
trading with the ports along the coast.
Mr.. BeIden is a unique combination OF
manly warmheartedness and commercial
callousness. He has a magnificent resi-.
dence on Filth avenue, q corner store,
fitted like palace. In the music room
is grand pipe organ, probably the
largest parlor instrument of the kind in
the metropolis, for Mr.. Belden is q con.
noisseur III music, has a finely cultivated
baritone voice. and not only plays the or
gan with the enthusiasm of a deYotee,
but cOmposes music for his favOrite in
has, TOO, superb villa on Long Island
sound, about twenty-five miles from the
city. Here, too. he has a grand organ, and
entertains his guests in the summer zen
prince"
MIR. Belden has been twice married
His second wife, widow, is a woman OF
exquisite beauty and of rare accomplish
ments.
Mr.. Belden, with his implacable nature
of the warrior, rules his household with
an iron hand, and himself, averse to
society, permits the world to see little of
the beautiful and magnetic woman TO
whose rare talents and keen intuition
much Ofsthe success OF his eXtraOrd nary
career is due. The amount OF Beden's
possessions is known only to himself, but
it is known to be among the millions
William Belden's name will pass into
history as the only man Jay Gould ever
really feared. They never meet in these
days. and Belden's "still-w aters-run-
deep" temperament, forbid his speaking
of his great triumph of the past over the
dread Goliah of Wall street.
..... B. B. VALENTINE.